The demand for tools that improve team collaboration is growing every year, as we become increasingly aware of the importance of effective communication. We are becoming more and more specialized, which means we need to exchange knowledge with other team members in order to perform daily tasks efficiently. At the same time, information noise is increasing.
New software solutions try to address these challenges by filtering inboxes, intelligently prioritizing, and grouping messages, tasks, and data. A lot of effort is also being put into improving collaboration in document creation tailored to teams. Some tools are also designed to streamline workflow. The Qalcwise platform is no different – it fulfills similar functions to many collaboration platforms. What makes our business applications unique is the core foundation of the technology: the type of language used by users.
Business is about numbers
Think business, think numbers. Revenue, costs, profit, KPIs? How do you effectively communicate and collaborate around numbers? What is the best medium? Are comments in reports or spreadsheets enough? How do you pass numbers to other employees? Send a file as an attachment or share a link? Are we sure all necessary data is included?
There are many questions, but one thing is certain—almost like death and taxes—spreadsheets are the universal language of business.
Let’s face it. No matter how advanced the systems in your organization are, spreadsheets are still there. And they will remain. Across departments and industries, you always speak the language of spreadsheets—with colleagues, managers, investors, and even clients. Spreadsheets are accessible, easy to use, and flexible. They have become so natural and widespread that, despite their obvious limitations, there is no point in fighting them.
If you can’t beat them, join them
It is easy to build a business case, a simple forecast, or a business plan in spreadsheets. However, some organizations use them for much more complex business processes—NPV analysis or sales offer creation, which already require more advanced calculations. At Qalcwise, we took this need as a starting point.
What would happen if our business collaboration platform were built around spreadsheets? But not traditional ones. Let’s completely redefine them. Let’s add all the missing components that make old spreadsheets insufficient for modern business. Let’s turn them into business applications.
A spreadsheet—and much more
We adopted the following principles to build the best business collaboration platform:
- First, it’s cloud-based. No files, no drives, no installation.
- Second, it is still a spreadsheet. The good old spreadsheet—click and create a formula, that’s it.
- Third, workflow. Transparent, interactive approval paths. See who is currently editing the sheet. Just add the formula =CurrentUser(). Easily build approval flows using drag-and-drop and spreadsheet formulas. You can also configure email notifications.
- Mobility. Spreadsheets are designed with mobile screens in mind. Applications are built from smaller sections that automatically adapt to mobile view.
- Security. You decide who can view and edit specific sections. You can define groups, permissions, and hide parts of the sheet.
- Database. The database is embedded in Qalcwise. Just drag and drop data into the application. Edit and update data bidirectionally.
- Scalability. You can support up to 1,000 users without losing performance. Nice? How about 100,000 users?!
- Analytics. Build advanced analytical dashboards using spreadsheet formulas. Dashboards not only display data but also update it—true self-service business intelligence.
- Business functions. Audit, logs, archiving, security policies, and of course an API for integration with any external system.
- Collaboration and communication portal. Once you design a “spreadsheet-based application,” you gain a new communication channel. Want to discuss results, sales, or a new product? Just click a button, define recipients, task, deadline, and add a comment.
Work smarter, work less
There are hundreds of possible use cases for Qalcwise business applications. Everywhere. Look around and identify which process in your company still relies on inefficient spreadsheets. Eliminate the pain of traditional spreadsheets by replacing them with modern spreadsheet-based applications.
Building business applications on the Qalcwise platform takes literally hours or a few days.
One of our clients needed a system for managing the new product introduction process. Previously, a spreadsheet circulated between departments for a long time before a decision was made. Building a traditional automated system would have taken weeks or even months. Fortunately, the client met the Qalcwise team, and the solution was ready in… 2 days—at a fraction of the originally estimated cost.
Thanks to its unique approach to spreadsheets, Qalcwise delivers business applications for business users that do not require developers. “Power to the people”—and that is exactly what Qalcwise is about.